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The Indiana Election Commission on Wednesday OK'd several changes that Gov. Eric Holcomb, Secretary of State Connie Lawson and Republican and Democratic leaders recommended at a news conference last week.

Holcomb signed an executive order Friday to move the primary election from May 5 to June 2 and asked the commission to make several changes to smooth that process, most notably allowing all voters to cast absentee ballots by mail. The commission also acknowledged doing so could delay election results and asked local election boards to count votes by June 12.

“As we take precautions to protect Hoosiers from the threat of COVID-19, it is vitally important to protect citizens’ right to vote,” Lawson said in a prepared statement. “I am pleased that our bipartisan recommendations have been adopted, and I thank the Indiana Election Commission for their expeditious work."

The Election Commission also agreed to attempt to create a digital system to allow voters to submit absentee ballot applications online, rather than through the mail.

The Indiana Citizen Education Foundation, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that seeks to educate voters, had been advocating for that change.

"The Indiana Citizen believes this online option would spare voters the need to print out an absentee-ballot application and then to mail it to their county election office," said Bill Moreau, co-founder and president of the foundation. "Our group stands prepared to help in streamlining this process in any way possible."